Move LA Executive Director Denny Zane made a clarion call for the proposed Measure R2 half-cent sales tax for transportation on page 2 of the LA Times "Mobility" supplement, in an opening essay entitled "Let's Dream BIG." LA Mayor Eric Garcetti's comments at Move LA's 6th Annual Transportation Conversation were laid out in a story on the following pages, where he noted that voter approval of Measure R in 2008 has helped LA County secure major federal funding for transportation, including 2 Full Funding Grant Agreements and 2 low-interest federal loans totalling almost $3 billion -- for the Wilshire Subway and the Regional Connector in downtown LA, which begin construction soon. In addition, these are some of the projects that Measure R2 could fund:
* Completion of the rail line to LAX
* A tunnel and light rail line underneath the 405 freeway, connecting the San Fernando Valley to the Westside and to LAX
* A Grand Boulevards program that could fund renovation of "Main Streets" with more frequent transit, cleaner and safer bus stops with real-time info, streetscape improvements and landscaping, bike lanes and wide sidewalks, off-street parking, a mitigation program for small businesses, street resurfacing with cool pavement, signal synchronization, and incentives for mixed-use mixed-income residential developments
* Light rail extensions: The Foothill Extension to San Bernardino County, Eastside Gold Line to both Whittier and South El Monte, Crenshaw Line to Wilshire and then to Hollywood, Green Line to Torrance and possibly to the Blue Line and to the Norwalk Metrolink station, and the West Santa Ana Line from downtown LA to Cerritos
* Completion of the Wilshire Subway to Santa Monica
* Bike and pedestrian projects
* A modernization of Metrolink
* Deployment of zero- and near-zero-emission goods movement projects.

"Measure R has been a game-changer for LA," Denny wrote. "It's changed the way the nation views us and should change the way we view ourselves. We are now a success story, a county that's fixing its problems.

Why not be the community we aspire to be?" he asks. "We already have the best weather."

Check out Move LA in the Mobility supplement here. And check out the entire supplement here.